The world's first octopus-inspired superior sunscreen (and possibly anti aging) is on its way

Good news!

"A unique material inspired by a pigment in the skin of octopus, squid and cuttlefish has been harnessed to boost the skin-protecting active ingredients in sunscreen, as well as providing a shield against skin damage. And while it comes with all the benefits to humans, including antioxidant properties, it's harmless to the environment, which could revolutionize not just sun protection but skincare in general. ...
In the latest study, the scientists shows how a synthesized version of xanthommatin can significantly boost sunscreen protection levels when blended with zinc oxide, without having any negative impact on marine life such as corals or to humans. ..."

From the abstract:

"Objective

... We describe the use of a natural product, Xanthochrome® (INCI: Ammonium Xanthommatin), in a series of studies designed to not only assess its safety with marine systems but also its formulation compatibility and function in water-in-oil mineral sunscreens. Xanthochrome is the synthetic form of the naturally occurring chromophore xanthommatin (XA) present in cephalopod skin, which doubles as a photostable antioxidant; however, it has never been explored in combination with mineral UV filters in finished formulations.

Methods

Given the recent controversies associated with the environmental toxicological effects of some chemicals used in sunscreens, the safety of XA with coral cuttings was first validated at concentrations 5× above those used in our formulations. Next, a particle-based delivery of XA was designed and incorporated into a zinc oxide (ZnO)-based water-in-oil sunscreen, where the SPF, critical wavelength, and visible light (VL) blocking potential were measured.

Results

We observed no adverse effects of XA at 100 mg/L when tested with coral cuttings, ... When formulated with ZnO-based sunscreens, the inclusion of XA increased the total UV absorbance profile by 28% and the total blocking potential of VL by 45%. The formulations also elicited no dermal irritation or sensitization in a human insult repeat patch test (N = 100 subjects).

Conclusions

XA is differentiated as a photostable, water-soluble compound that is a VL booster proven safe for skin and coral cuttings. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other boosters that can be classified as such, despite a growing body of literature highlighting the need in the industry."

The world's first octopus-inspired superior sunscreen is on its way

Octopus and squid pigments enhance sunscreen without harming the environment, Northeastern researchers and company founders say (original news release)

Using cephalopod-inspired chemistry to extend long-wavelength ultraviolet and visible light protection of mineral sunscreens (no public access)

Professor Leila Deravi and grad Camille Martin, co-founders of Seaspire, isolated anti-aging and sun protective qualities of octopus and squid.